Picking Up The Ball

The Players Who Will Make A Difference This Season For Uconn

September 01, 2005|By TERRY PRICE; COURANT STAFF WRITER

Defensive end

Dan Davis

Davis was known as The Beast in high school. He has the demeanor, quickness and power to menace quarterbacks. His lack of stature -- he's 6 feet 1, 265 pounds -- is more of an asset than a handicap. He barrels around offensive tackles and is able to hold his ground against the run. If Afa Anoai can make it back from knee troubles, he and Davis would make a great tag team. The departure of Tyler King has created an opening for an emotional player who thrives on getting to the QB. Davis, the plum of last year's recruiting class, fits the bill.

Quarterback

Matt Bonislawski

Bonislawski didn't look like a deserving successor to Dan Orlovsky until he arrived at preseason camp with an additional 14 pounds of muscle. Although his main purpose may be handing off to Terry Caulley and Cornell Brockington, ``Bones'' has a strong arm and is an elusive runner. The added strength should make him less susceptible to injury. Still, questions remain. Does he have the confidence to stay in the pocket and find the open receiver? Does he have a strong enough personality to control the huddle when things get tense? Bonislawski has plenty of weapons at his disposal. If he plays well, and gets necessary support from the offensive line, the Huskies should be just fine. Opponents will likely load up in the box against Caulley and Brockington until Bones makes his bones.

Return specialist

Larry Taylor

If they'd given out co-MVP honors at the Motor City Bowl, Taylor would have shared the award with Orlovsky. He returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown and a kickoff 54 yards to set up another TD to help the Huskies romp 39-10 over Toledo. Taylor helped the Huskies go from 116th in the nation in punt returns in 2003 to 18th in 2004. He averaged 14.6 yards on punt returns and 31.3 yards on kickoff returns, including a 97-yard TD against Temple. He and Nick Giaquinto (1975) are the only UConn players to return a punt and kickoff for a TD in the same season. Though he's only 5 feet 6, Taylor could greatly assist a reshaped offense by giving the Huskies field position.

Offensive tackle

Grant Preston

Since he's the only senior on the offensive line, Preston has to take on the mantle of leadership. The loss of grizzled starters Billy Irwin, Brian Markowski and Ryan Krug will be felt almost almost as much for their hard-nosed ability and swagger as for their ability. They were undyingly loyal to Orlovsky and protected him with extraordinary diligence. Preston must help carry on that attitude and get the new members of the line in line. This will be especially critical in allowing Bonislawski to get his bearings. Craig Berry, who started last season at right guard and has shifted to right tackle, already gets it and has a more outgoing personality than Preston. With no captain on offense, Preston (with help from Berry) will have to lead the charge while also taking a tough-minded approach to his own game.

Running backs

Terry Caulley/

Cornell Brockington

Part of the decision to sit Caulley, above, last season was strategic. The Huskies knew they would not have the downfield-strike capability in year one A.O. (After Orlovsky). But they knew Caulley could offset some of that diminished deep threat by busting a long run now and then. That was his specialty pre-knee injury. The Huskies will try to get the ball to Caulley in a variety of ways -- handoffs, pitches, reverses, dump-offs and from wide receiver sets. He will be invaluable as Bonislawski tries to get comfortable, and his knack for making something out of nothing will bail out an inexperienced offensive line. Caulley's feisty yet somewhat vulnerable personality (not to mention his uncanny ability) will probably dictate that he start. Brockington, who is more low-key, is more suited to coming off the bench. His power and slashing style are a nice change of pace from Caulley's electric bolts. Both players have good hands as receivers and are dangerous in open space.

Kicker

Matt Nuzie

Expectations for Nuzie have changed dramatically. The groans when he entered games as a freshman were replaced with cheers last fall. He must continue to consistently make field goal attempts inside 40 yards. After making only 11 of 21 field goals his first year, Nuzie made 20 of 28 as a sophomore, including a school-record 10 in a row. His biggest miss came against Boston College, when his 31-yard attempt clanked off the left upright, blunting a comeback. But he also provided one of the biggest lifts of the season when his 49-yarder to close the first half helped upset Pittsburgh. Nuzie closed the season on a high by making 4 of 5 in a Motor City Bowl win over Toledo. If the Huskies play a more conservative, ball-control offense, he could be more of a weapon.